It was crucial not to lose yesterday on the Ray Hill, and that’s what both Lens and Nice players focused on, which ultimately resulted in each team having to settle for a small point in their points tally. Nice reaches the 30-point mark, while the northern team remains one point behind the first relegation spot, AS Monaco.
After the turmoil of the Coupe de France, it was necessary to return to the reality of the championship, and the tension was palpable as both teams began this crucial match under the supervision of Mr. Billong, officiating for the first time in Ligue 1. Mouloungi, riding on his recent good performances, was the first to take action with a shot lacking a bit of power and a series of dribbles unceremoniously stopped by the Lens defense.
There were no great flights of creativity from the northern side, despite the determined effort of Maoulida, applying pressure on the Nice defense and even forcing Ospina to make an unusual foot save. The eagles attempted to play a bit higher, but the Lens defense remained vigilant until the break, with both teams heading to the locker rooms on a logically scoreless draw.
The Azureans returned strongly in the second half with a good service from Mounier to Bellion, whose cut-back found Fae, eventually blocked by Yahia. One return for another, it was Maoulida’s turn to threaten, with Ospina deflecting the Lens’ most dangerous player’s attempt for a corner. It wasn’t over yet as the Nice goalkeeper had to block efforts from Hermach and Demont in a favorable quarter-hour period for the Northerners.
Unfortunately, the intensity of the match was short-lived, likely impacted by the extra time faced against Reims, weighing in on the game. Eric Roy then introduced Ljuboja and Diakité, but the machinery seemed to stutter on both sides, and the specter of a defeat loomed once more over the encounter. Another small scare with a daring dribble from Digard in his area, a final hope with a lob attempt from Mouloungui on Runje, and a volley from Eduardo missing by a few centimeters from Ospina’s guarded net as Mr. Billong could finally blow the whistle on a match as insipid as it was dull.
Certainly, the points gained can no longer be lost, but there’s hope that the two points left behind tonight won’t be missed at the final day’s reckoning; to avoid this regret, three points will be needed to be secured again at the Ray Stadium, next Saturday, against Auxerre. But first, tune in tonight to Stade 2 to find out the Gym’s opponent in the long-awaited Coupe de France semi-final in Nice and on the French Riviera.
